The Knight, the Maiden and the Court Jester
by AngelWingsAndSatansPitchfork
Summary: Kakashi tells young Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura a story about his childhood. The only difference is it takes place in era of knights, princes, dragons and trolls.
1. The Quest

A/N: Remember, Kakashi is telling the story.

"Tell us a story 'Kashi-san!"

"Story! Story! Story! Story!"

"Stories are for babies!"

Kakashi looked over the top of his bright orange book at the three children in front of him. Part of his training to be a squad leader was to look after three darling children that were due to start the academy next year. Who did he get? The nine tails, the youngest Uchiha and a walking cherry blossom. He had never being so annoyed by three kids in his whole entire life. (Mainly because he avoided them like the plague but that's beside the point.) Honestly, if he has these three in a team in the future, he was not going to be a happy camper. Luckily, there's very little chance of that happening.

Kakashi smiled at them from behind his mask. "What kind of story would you like to hear?" he asked. If it keeps them quiet, he'd sing and dance show tunes. Well, he wouldn't go _that_ far. That was more Gai's thing really.

The three pointed up at the book Kakashi had in his hands. His face flushed to a noticeable pink. He couldn't read to them from _that _book..... As far as he knows, Jiraiya-sensei didn't write that book for kids. Well, he hoped he didn't. "A- are you sure don't want to hear a different story?" he asked them, scratching the back of his neck.

They shook their heads. Little perverts. Kakashi opened the book to a random page, beads of sweat condensing on his forehead. He couldn't do this. He couldn't read to them from this. He may not like kids but he isn't the kind to traumatize them! Not at this young age anyway.... He guessed he better improvise.

"A long time ago, in a land far far away, lived a valiant knight, a fair maiden and a court jester....."

* * *

"KAKASHIIII! RIN-CHAAAAN!" Obito's voice rang out in the castle's courtyard. The young Uchiha ran towards his friends at full speed, weaving in between the village people who were trading for various goods at the market. The bells on his jester's hat jingled with every step he took, earning himself giggles from the young children. Through the bright orange panes of his goggles, he could see his destination looming towards him and he skidded to a stop, causing some dust on the ground to rise into the air.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "You're late....." he accused him, his brows furrowing together.

Obito laughed weakly, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, there was this princess who was getting kidnapped by this HUUUGE dragon so I had to go save her 'coz there was no one else around. 'Oh Obito who's waaaay more handsome than Kakashi! Save me!' she called out to me so I HAD to save her then. So I picked up this big ass sword, which was on fire by the way, and-"

"Cut it out Obito!" Kakashi said, rubbing his temples. "We know none of that happened!"

Obito hung his head as Rin giggled. "I liked your story Obito-kun!"

The jester's head shot up, his cheeks tinted pink. "R- Really Rin-chan?" Kakashi swore little pink hearts were popping all around the Uchiha's orange and blue hat.

Rin giggled and smiled sweetly at him. "Of course! It was very creative!"

Obito grinned. "That's exactly what I was going for!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Liar...." he stated, crossing his arms, obviously annoyed with the boy.

"Don't talk like that Kakashi," Prince Minato said, laying a hand on the young knight's shoulder. "You made sure to bring the Princess back safely to her castle, didn't you Obito?" Prince Minato was the next in line as ruler of Konohagakure. Obito, Kakashi and Rin looked up to him as their sensei and he considered them his students.

Obito grinned, placing both of his hands behind his head. "Of course I did! I escorted her there myself! I even carried her shopping bags and everything!"

"You're too gullible sensei...."

Rin sweat dropped. This conversation happened a little too much for her liking. "Oh! Kakashi-kun! I almost forgot!" she said suddenly and handed him a small package. "Congratulations on becoming a knight! You deserve it!" she added, a light blush spreading across her cheeks.

Obito narrowed his eyes at the silver-haired boy. Rin shouldn't like him. Sure he was somewhat good looking and he guessed some would say he was smart but he had all that and much more! He was way better for Rin than him. Unlike Kakashi, he'd return her feelings, tell her how beautiful she is and how much he loves her, letting her know just how perfect she truly is. Stupid Hatake and his dashing good looks, charming personality and all round cool attitude....

Kakashi smiled at Rin from behind his mask and took the package into his gloved hands. Most knights were usually seen in huge armor suits but poor Kakashi was too small to fit in these yet so he was stuck with chain mail. "Thanks Rin!" he thanked her politely and unwrapped the brown cloth from his gift.

Kakashi held up the small medical pouch, showing it to Obito and Minato as well. Rin smiled warmly. "It's so you can treat yourself when you get hurt! Do you like Kakashi-kun?" Rin was training to be a doctor. Nowadays, women becoming medics was normal but in those days, it was unheard of. Prince Minato pulled a few strings for her and managed to find someone willing to teach her. Her teacher was Tsunade-sama, the most respected doctor in all the land. But, she's not important to the story so let's forget about her.

"Loved it, Rin!" Kakashi told her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her hard on the lips, much to Obito's disgust.

* * *

"He wouldn't do that!" Sasuke objected, pointing a small finger at the storyteller.

"Yeah!" Naruto agreed. "That cool 'bito guy just said that 'kashi didn't like Rin like that! Why would he kiss her?"

"Because it's romantic~ " Sakura replied, clasping her hands together and letting out a content sigh. "It would be nice if a handsome guy like him would kiss me..." she added, glancing at the oblivious Uchiha out of the corner of her eye.

Kakashi sweat dropped at his students, smiling behind his mask. "Um.... How about Kakashi shook her hand instead? Is that better?"

"Hn."

"Believe it!"

"*sigh*"

* * *

After shaking Rin's hand and not doing anything inappropriate or out of character to her in the slightest, Kakashi strapped the medical pouch to his leg. He looked over to Prince Minato, who was grinning down at him.

"This is from me!" he said, handing him a small weapon. "It's a special sword. I know it's lighter than a regular sword because it's so small but you'll get used to it after time. Don't be fooled by its size, it can pack quite a punch!"

"Thanks!" He looked over to his friend Obito. "Well? What did you get me?" he asked, crossing his arms expectantly.

Obito scratched the back of his neck and smiled weakly at him. "Well.... Heh heh.... I kinda um... forgot about it....? Heh.... Whoops?" he stuttered out, trying to avoid Kakashi's cold glare. When he didn't say anything to him, Obito asked "I'll let you wear my hat?"

Kakashi didn't even have to look at the blue and orange accessory with the silver bells to know his answer. "Pass." he stated, rolling his eyes. "You can carry my stuff instead."

"WHAT?" Obito exclaimed, pointing a finger at him. "It's a mystery how you became a knight!" The court jester looked down at his feet for a moment before pointing up at the sky, a determined look on his face. "I am Obito Uchiha of the Uchiha clan! I will surpass you and be a better knight than you will ever be! I just have to awake the sharigan...."

* * *

"Obito was an Uchiha? Like me?" Sasuke exclaimed, his eyes wide. "But he doesn't act anything like Itachi-nii or Dad! He sounds more like Naruto-baka than them...." he added, crossing his arms and sending a glare in the blonde's direction.

Naruto grinned, brushing off the glare as if it was nothing. "He must be a pretty cool guy! Waaay cooler than Sasuke-teme! Believe it!" he exclaimed, earning himself yet another cold glare from the young Uchiha.

Sakura raised her hand, ignoring the bickering between her two classmates. "'Kashi-san? What's a sharigan?"

Kakashi smiled at her. "The sharigan was a type of magic the Uchiha clan possesses. It allowed them to see a couple of minutes into the future so they could see what attack their opponents were going to use on them. It was very useful to knights such as Kakashi."

"But 'Kashi-san! 'Bito isn't a knight!"

"No, he wasn't. The other Uchihas didn't think he'd make a suitable knight. His carefree attitude and the fact he didn't awaken the sharigan yet, made him disrespected among them and the other villagers. Kakashi especially....."

* * *

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at Obito. "The Uchiha clan are all elite knights, aren't they?" he asked him. "That's what I thought but...."

"Whaaat?"

"Okay guys, that's enough!" Prince Minato interrupted them. "The four of us have a quest to carry out!" This gained the teens attention. The three of them turned to face the Prince, eagerly awaiting to hear what he has to say. Obito, Kakashi and Rin loved going on quests with their sensei. It made them feel like heroes, like they were important to the villagers' lives. Not to mention how fun it is.

Prince Minato pulled out a map, inked onto parchment and unfurled it. "See this line here?" he asked, tracing over the bright red line. "Currently, trolls from Iwagakure are invading Kusagakure, the village where the pixies and fairies reside. We have information that there are already a thousand trolls at this line. Even though the fire country borders Kusagakure, if we wait too long, we'll be too late. Our quest is here," he said, pointing to a bridge on the map. "To sneak in behind the enemy and destroy the bridge they need to retrieve their supplies. Then, withdraw quickly."

"Got it!"

"I'll distract the trolls away from you, so you have a better chance of sneaking in," Prince Minato informed them, rolling the map back up. "We'll go to the border together but from them on, our quest begins!" He put his hand out in front of him. "Everyone understand?" The three of them put their hands on top of his and nodded.

"Then let's go!"

* * *

"Let's go Sasuke!" Itachi said, holding out a hand to his younger sibling.

"But Itachi-nii! The story isn't over yet!" Sasuke whined.

Kakashi smiled. "Aren't you the one who said 'stories are for babies'?" he asked. The Uchiha pouted, earning a chuckle from the Jounin. "I have you three again tomorrow anyway. We'll finish it then!"

Sasuke smiled at the older man before climbing onto his elder brother's back. "Bye 'Kashi-san! See ya tomorrow!" he said, waving his small hand. Itachi gave the Jounin a nod before leaving the classroom.

"Me too 'Kashi-san! I'll see you tomorrow as well!" Sakura smiled, holding onto her Mother's hand. "I can't wait to hear the rest of the story!"

"Thank you Hatake-san!" her Mother said, bowing to the silver haired man. Seeing her mother bow, Sakura did too, giggling as well.

Kakashi smiled and nodded his head. "You're welcome Haruno-san!"

Sakura's mother held out her free hand to Naruto. "Come on, honey. Hokage-sama asked me to pick you up for him. He couldn't make it...."

Naruto sighed and took it. "Thought so.... Bye 'Kashi!" he said, grinning and waving at him as the pink haired woman tugged the two children out of the room.

Kakashi smiled and gave them a half-assed wave. He looked down at his bright orange book and began reading it again. This time, he actually read what the book said, rather than the child safe story he told the children. There was no better story than the ones Jiraiya wrote, after all.

Well, to him anyway.


	2. Ambush

"Roll call! Sakura Haruno?"

"Here!"

"Sasuke Uchiha?"

"Hn."

"Naruto Uzumaki?"

"Yeah Yeah I'm here. Can you continue the story now 'Kashi?"

"Good things come to those who wait, Naruto~"

"'KASHI-SAN!"

"Okay, Okay, I'll continue the story. Our heroes left the castle and were soon making their way towards the border...."

* * *

Kakashi, Obito, Rin and Prince Minato trudged through the forest. The forest trees towered over them and huge mushrooms, ten times the size of the average man grew out from them. The tips of the tall grass came up to Kakashi's knee, making it hard for the team to walk through.

All was quiet in the forest. There wasn't a single bird or woodland creature around, which arouse suspicions among the group. Suddenly, Kakashi stopped them. He silently signalled that they were not alone and that are Iwagakure trolls nearby. They quickly ducked behind a fallen tree for cover.

"Be careful everyone.... There's around twenty enemies nearby!" Prince Minato warned them, looking around to try and spot them before they spotted the group.

"Looks like it...." Kakashi agreed, grabbing his wrist. "Sensei, I'll head in. Please cover me!"

"Don't be hasty Kakashi. You should be the back-up." Prince Minato warned him before he did something he'd regret.

The young knight quickly dismissed him. "This an excelled time to try out my new magic technique!" Not only were the Uchiha clan inept in magic, other clans were too. Kakashi's clan, the Hatake clan, were inept with lightning magic and he was ready to try out his newest technique.

Kakashi's grip on his wrist tightened as the lightning magic built up on it. Obito and Rin watched in amazement as Prince Minato cast him a wary glance. "Let's go!" Kakashi said, ready to charge ahead. Prince Minato held his arm in front of him, preventing the young knight from going ahead.

Kakashi looked surprised for a moment before looking ahead again. "Even though there are lots of enemies, this technique can take care of them in an instant. It's just like your nickname." Prince Minato was dubbed 'Konohagakure's yellow flash', for his speed. He was easily one of the fastest men around.

Prince Minato stared at Kakashi for a moment, before removing his arm from his path. Kakashi pointed his arm straight in front of him and charged straight on. The magic broke through the thick trunk of the fallen tree, causing Obito and Rin to recoil to protect themselves from the large blast.

Arrows rained down from the trolls and towards Kakashi, but Prince Minato reflected them with his own. Kakashi continued forward, the electric energy from his hand beginning to surge up his arm. He pulled back his fist and punched the enemy hard in his pot bellied stomach. His eyes widened in shock when the troll poofed, the other trolls following suit. '_Damn it…. Clone magic….' _He thought.

Clone magic was a special type of magic that allowed the user to produce multiple copies of his or her self. It was the most basic of spells, one that nearly all warriors of fighters of that time knew. Kakashi mentally kicked himself for not thinking of that beforehand.

The real troll snuck up behind the silver haired knight and raised his sword. He was about to strike him when Prince Minato swooped in, pulling Kakashi out of harm's way. With lightning speed, the blonde carried his student back to Obito and Rin at the fallen tree trunk. He set him down gently, leaning him against their makeshift wooden shield. Prince Minato quickly zipped off again in another direction, leaving the three kids on their own.

Kakashi gripped his arm, scarlet blood trickling down from his shoulder. Like the good knight he was, he pushed the pain to the back of his mind so he could continue the quest. However, Rin was having none of it.

"Oh my goodness, Kakashi-kun! Are you okay?" she asked, kneeling down beside him. She gently took his injured arm in her small, delicate hands and examined the wound. She waved her right hand over the gash and it glowed a green light. Medical magic. Many druids of that time, used special healing magic, to heal wounds and cuts in a flash.

Prince Minato returned from his escapades and walked over to the children. "Kakashi's injury isn't minor either…. For now, we'll retreat back to the camp."

"I'm fine," Kakashi stated nonchalantly, as if he had only received a paper cut.

"Fine? What do you mean 'fine'?" Obito yelled at him. "You selfishly went against Prince Minato's orders and did something crazy!"

Kakashi looked up at him through the corner of his eye. "I don't want to say anything to you; to the 'elite Uchiha', a coward and a cry baby! You're nothing more than a court jester!"

* * *

"'Why is 'Kashi being so mean to 'bito?" Naruto asked the Jounin. "'bito didn't do anything to him! Believe it!"

Kakashi looked down at the blonde haired child. The look in his blue eyes told him he knew exactly how it felt to be looked down on and insulted without a good reason. He sighed. If only the villagers had have listened to his sensei's dying request…. "Kakashi didn't like Obito. He didn't think he was fit to be knight, like he wanted to."

"'Coz he's sweet and sensitive?" Sakura asked, a light blush on her cheeks.

Kakashi smiled and sweat dropped at her behaviour. "You could say that…."

* * *

"It's just… there was something in my eye and I had to cry to let it out!" Obito lied, smiling awkwardly and scratching the back of his head. Curse his sweet, sensitive nature.

"Do you know 'knight's rule number twenty-five'?" Kakashi asked as Rin finished up using the medical magic. "It states that a knight must never show his tears. A cry baby like you can't become a knight. It breaks the rules."

Rin sighed. "You two, quit it."

"Take it easy you two!" Prince Minato scowled in a harsh tone. The three teens looked up at him surprised. "Kakashi; of course rules and regulations are important but that's all there is to it. You must also be able to adapt and to cope with any situation."

Kakashi looked down at his feet and Obito smiled at him smugly. "Ha~!" he said, pointing at him.

"And Obito," Prince Minato continued, grabbing the goggled boy's attention. "You were wearing your goggles so you couldn't have had something in your eye. If you don't control your mouth, not only will it become weak, but your mind will also." Obito looked down sadly, holding back tears.

"And another thing Kakashi," Prince Minato said to the silver-haired knight. "That magic you used, never use it again." Kakashi looked at him surprised. "A thrust concentrated on one point…. Of course you have the destructive power and speed, but because of your movements are so fast, you can't see your opponents counter your attack. Because of that, the technique is incomplete." He turned to the whole team. "Before we separate, I'll say it again. The most important thing to us, is teamwork."

The three teens looked away from the Prince, and avoided each other's eye contact. Prince Minato let out a sigh. "Alright…. Let's move out."

* * *

"After that, Minato-sens- I mean, Prince Minato sat alone on a boulder not far away from the camp. Kakashi continued, smiling at how the children were eating the story out of the palm of his hand. "Obito, the lovable court jester, soon climbed up next to him…"

* * *

"Prince Minato?"

Said prince glanced over his shoulder to spot the young Uchiha, without his usual jester's hat and goggles. "Hm? What's wrong?" he asked as the young boy sat cross legged next to him. Minato watched him in curiosity, waiting for his student to speak.

Obito sighed. "I understand the importance of teamwork," he began. "But, Kakashi is always making me out to be a lazy idiot. Even though I'm called 'elite' because I was born into the Uchiha clan, I'm nothing but a court jester – a loser. I know Kakashi is an amazing person but…."

"Hm…" Prince Minato smiled softly. "Kakashi is the son of the genius knight, Sakumo Hatake, known as the 'Konohagakure white fang'. His father had the same respect as some of the greatest knights in history. Because he spent his childhood with such a genius, sometimes, he may look down at you guys and see you as unsatisfactory."

Obito looked up at him amazed. "White fang…? Now that you mention it, I've heard of him! Kakashi never talked about him though…."

Prince Minato looked at the young jester for a moment before looking up into the sky. "Everyone in our village, and of course Kakashi, looked up to and respected him… until that incident happened."

"Incident?"

"I'm probably not supposed to talk about this freely but since you're on the same team as Kakashi, I want you to know…."

"…What happened?" Obito asked, unsure if he wants to hear the answer.

Prince Minato closed his eyes. "Sakumo Hatake was disgraced… and committed suicide."

"…EH?"

He sighed, and began to delve into the subject with more detail. "Five years ago, he was sent on a secret quest into enemy lands. He had to make a choice. The success of the quest, or his comrades lives…. If he followed the kingdom's rules, he couldn't back on the quest…. But, he abandoned it and saved his comrade's lives. Because of that, Konohagakure suffered a great loss and everyone in the kingdom blamed him, including the comrade's he saved. His body and mind suffered greatly because of that quest, and he eventually took his own life…. After that, Kakashi never spoke of his father, and his obsession with following the rules and regulations began…."

Obito looked down at his feet solemnly, everything the prince had told him was circling in his mind.

Prince Minato closed his eyes again. "Obito, understand him, even a little. Don't bear a grudge towards him…."

* * *

"'Kashi's Dad had a sad past…" Sakura said, looking down at her feet.

"Can we skip all the boring conversation parts and get to the cool fight scenes already?" Naruto asked, resting his head in his palm.

Sasuke thumped him on the head. "Have some respect baka!"

"THAT HURT, TEME!"

Kakashi smiled from beneath his mask and tilted his head. "I still have you lot for another couple of hours. How about we continue this story at Ichiraku's, my treat, hmm?"

"YEAH! RAMEN! BELIEVE IT!"


	3. Rescue Mission

"Everyone set?"

The three children nodded at Kakashi as they quietly (or not so quietly in Naruto's case) ate their ramen, waiting for the silver-haired Jounin continue.

"Okay then. So, the next morning, Rin re-dressed the young knight's wounds and the team set off on their quest…"

* * *

The tall trees towered over the Prince's team. Light filtered down through the blanket of leaves spread overhead. The grass stretched up to the knight's ankles and the trickling of water in a babbling brook was heard nearby. There was a light breeze blowing, causing our heroes to feel a slight chill on their skin, but not enough to hinder their journey.

Prince Minato stopped the group once they had reached their destination. "From here, we split into two groups. Everyone, do your best!" he told them, giving them a re-assuring smile. His face quickly changed into a more serious expression. "It was only by chance that that troll yesterday was scouting alone. From now on, it will be team battles. Take care and look out for each other!"

Obito swallowed his pride and looked over at Kakashi. "Let's get going… Commander."

The young knight looked over at the jester in surprise, as did Rin. Prince Minato smiled at the Uchiha. His lesson the previous night must have got to him. "Right. Let's go. Everyone scatter!" he ordered, splitting himself up from the kids.

* * *

"Finally! Some action!" Naruto exclaimed in between bites (gulps) of ramen.

Kakashi smiled beneath his mask and nodded. "Then, the worst happened…"

"…They ran out of ramen?"

"Of course not dobe. Ramen wasn't even invented yet!" Sasuke said matter-of-factly, rolling his eyes at the blonde on his right.

"WHAT? How did they live?"

"Probably on dragon tongue or something like that…" Sakura contemplated before taking another bite of her lunch.

"...Eww…"

Kakashi could only sweat drop at the children. "Anyway, they weren't long into their quest, when the worst happened…"

* * *

Kakashi, Obito and Rin continued to walk through the forest. They travelled in single file, to protect themselves from danger. Suddenly, Kakashi stopped. He subtly waved his fingers, warning his teammates of the danger up ahead. Obito and Rin obliged to their leader's request, their senses heightened.

Arrows flew down at them from overhead. Obito breathed out a large ball of fire, a magic spell that has being passed down through the Uchiha clan for centuries. The fiery blaze engulfed the wooden arrows, burning them to a crisp. As the ash floated down towards the ground, a troll jumped out at Kakashi and Obito. The knight pulled out the sword Prince Minato had given and began duelling with the troll.

"GYAAAA!"

Kakashi and Obito whipped around to see a second troll holding an unconscious Rin under one arm. The other troll appeared behind him. "We'll look after this one!" he stated, and they both disappeared in a puff of smoke, taking the young druid with them.

Both boys stood helpless, staring at the spot their teammate and friend previously was with her captors. Without a second thought, Obito charged ahead, ready to give chase to the trolls and to rescue Rin, his crush.

"Damn it Obito! Don't go after them!" Kakashi called out to the court jester, stopping him in his tracks.

"WHAT?" Obito exclaimed, flailing his arms. "What are you saying? Don't you get it? She's our friend! We have to go after her!"

"The two of us will continue our quest," Kakashi said emotionlessly.

"What? What about Rin?"

"Leave Rin for now. The enemy wants to know our aim. They won't kill her yet," Kakashi said, trying to assure the Uchiha. The whole time the knight spoke, Obito had his fists and jaw clenched. "Besides, Rin is a druid. Even as a prisoner, she'll be treated as well as long as she treats the troll's casualties. More importantly, the problem is the enemy finding out our objective. If they find out, they'll prepare an attack against us at the bridge. If that happens, the quest will become too difficult and we won't be able to successfully complete it."

"What you're saying doesn't include Rin's safety!" Obito exclaimed, flailing his arms. "If those guys were just unthinking flunkies, what would happen then? Rescuing Rin is more important that the quest!"

Kakashi stared at his comrade for a moment before speaking. "As a knight," he said in a calm voice. "Sometimes it's essential to sacrifice your allies for the success of the quest. That's a 'law'. If we fail our quest, the war will continue and countless more lives will be taken."

"That's just speculation!" Obito yelled at him. "Just for that, you'd simply throw away a companion who's been with you through thick and thin? When you and I were injured, she took care of us! If it wasn't for her, we'd be long gone!"

"...That was Rin's duty."

Obito then promptly punched the knight in the face. Kakashi fell back due to the impact of the jester's fist. Rubbing his jaw, Kakashi glared up at him as the Uchiha continued to yell at him. "I can't STAND you!"

"...Whether you hate me or not, I'm still your commander," Kakashi told him, still using his calm tone despite being attacked. "You must obey my instructions. No matter what happens, if the team is scattered, there is still one leader. Therefore, you must follow the instructions of the commander. Obito, you haven't got any strength, because of that, I'm the leader."

Obito grabbed the front of the knight's chain mail suit and pulled him towards him. He glared down at him, his fists and teeth clenched. "If that's the case, why do you refuse to help Rin? Only YOU have the strength to save your friend!"

Kakashi stared him down. "If you let your emotions run free and fail the quest, you'll regret it in the future. Because of that, the rule was decided that a knight must kill his emotions. You must understand that."

"Rin... Rin gave you a medical pack out of concern for you! She even sewed a charm into it!"

"The medical pack was to increase the success of the quest. The most important thing to a knight is to be a tool to complete the quest. Emotions are unnecessary things."

Obito looked at him shocked, his grip on the knight loosening. "...Are you serious?" he asked, adopting a softer tone. "Do you seriously think like that?"

Kakashi looked down at his feet sadly. An image of his father flashed in his mind. "Yes... That's right..."

Obito released his hold on the knight, giving a forceful shove. "...Fine..." he said, turning his back on his teammate. "From the beginning, you and I were like water and oil. I'm going to rescue Rin!" The jester began walking away from the silver-haired knight.

"You don't understand anything!" Kakashi said in a harsh tone, getting up from the ground. "What happens to those who don't follow the rules-"

"I believe the 'White Fang' is a true hero!" Obito cut in sharply, not bothering to even so much glance at Kakashi's shocked expression. "Of course, those who break the rules of knighthood are considered trash but..." Obito glanced over his shoulder, giving him a cold glare. "Those who don't care about their companions are even worse trash!" He turned around again and continued walking away. "Anyway, if I'm that kind of trash, then I'll continue breaking the rules. If that's not being a true knight... Then maybe I don't want to become one."

Kakashi watched Obito walk away from him for a moment, before shutting his eyes and walking in the opposite direction. 'If Obito wants to jeopardise the quest and rescue Rin, that's fine. I'm not failing this quest.'

* * *

"'KASHI'S A JACKASS! BELIEVE IT!"

"I can't believe he'd do that to Rin-san..."

"Nii-san always tells me that completing a mission is important but I doubt even he would do that to the other ANBU..."

Kakashi sighed. "Yes, he was being a complete idiot and his conscience wasn't going to let him forget it. As he walked through the forest, his friend's and the Prince's words would repeat over and over in his mind."

"Good!" Naruto exclaimed, crossing his arms. "I hope he suffers..."

The Jounin sighed again. "I'm sure he did, Naruto. I'm sure he did..."

* * *

Obito sat on a large branch overlooking a small cave in the side if a cliff face. The trolls were inside holding Rin hostage. His orange goggles filled up with tears as fear to what will happen struck his heart. He wasn't sure what he was going to do. He wasn't a knight. He didn't have much fighting experience. All he could do was use the magic his clan had taught him. He never could awaken the sharigan and if he had, then this whole situation may never have happened.

He hoped Rin was okay. The court jester didn't know what he would do if something had happened to her…. Obito shook his head. These kind of thoughts wouldn't help him. He needed to pull himself together and get in there before something did happen.

"Right….Let's go…" he muttered to himself, tightly gripping a dagger in his hands.

"To where?"

Obito's eyes widened at the sudden voice and whipped around to view the troll. The troll smiled a crooked grin, a large blade in his rough hands. The Uchiha prepared himself for a strike when the enemy raised his weapon, a glint in his eyes. However, the blow never came. He opened one tightly shut eye to check what was wrong, before widening both eyes.

"I can't leave it all to a cry baby like you." Kakashi smirked, glancing over his shoulder to the other boy. Obito never expected the knight to come. Never mind slashing a troll's chest to protect him. Yet, there he was, standing in front of him, his sword dripping with blood.

Obito smiled at him, adopting his big goofy grin again. Kakashi returned the smile, nowhere near as broad as his comrade's but big enough to be noticed beneath the chain mail covering the lower half of his face.

"Silver hair and that sword…. Impossible…. You're Konoha's white fang?" the troll exclaimed as it stood up, ready for a second round. Obito didn't expect him to recover from Kakashi's attack.

"This is a memento of my Father," Kakashi said, pointing his sword at the troll's damaged chest.

The troll pulled a potion out of the belt wrapped around his waist. He gulped down the curiously red liquid before wiping his mouth and letting the bottle drop down the ground below them. "The White Fang's brat…. I don't need to worry then…." He said as he slowly disappeared.

"An invisibility potion…. Be careful Obito." Kakashi warned his friend, his eyes darting back and forth as he kept a look out for their unseen enemy. "His scent has been completely removed. We'll only be able to detect movement and sounds," the knight added, keeping his eyes and ears peeled for any movement.

A light tap was heard from behind Obito. Kakashi's eyes widened. "Obito! Look out!" he called. The knight jumped over to his friend's aid. Obito whipped around and gasped. Kakashi lay on the branch, a large cut over his left eye. Blood trickled down his cheek and dripped onto his armour. He lifted his gloved hand up to his eyes, holding it in pain.

"KASKASHI!" Obito called and ran to him. He dropped down beside him with a thud and put a hand on his back. "Kakashi? Are you alright?" he asked frantically, his eyes one again filling up with tears.

"The enemy is skilled…" Kakashi said, removing his blood soaked hand away from his eye for a moment. "He's already got rid of the weapon with the scent of my blood on it."

Obito lifted up his goggles, wiping away the tears from his eyes. "Dirt in your eye again?" Kakashi commented. "Knights don't cry. I'm not dead… yet…. Keep your guard up or you'll be the one dead."

Obito fixed his goggles back on his face, a look of steely determination on his face. His words he said to Kakashi, the words Kakashi and the Prince had said to him, kept flowing through his mind. Then and there, he promised to be better, to be tougher and stronger. He promised himself that he would no longer be the cry baby court jester or a loser. He was going to be a hero and he was going to rescue Rin. No matter what happened, he wasn't going to die a loser.

Obito span around and held the dagger in front of him. His normal onyx eyes flashed a blood red, activating his sharigan for the first time. He could read his enemy's movement. He could clearly see the troll behind him, despite the potion. The jester stabbed the troll in the heart and watched as the effects of the potion wore off, his enemy becoming visible. The troll's eyes glazed over as his life force drained. The second Obito pulled his weapon out of his enemy, the troll fell off of the tree branch and hit the ground, dead.

Kakashi's good eye widened at his friend. "Obito… you…"

"Now I will protect my companions."

* * *

"This is the best. Story. EVER! Believe it!"

Kakashi beamed at the looks of admiration the three children had on their faces for the court jester. "Ah~ But the best story ever is nearly over!"

"NO!"

"I'm afraid so!" the Jounin chuckled half-heartedly, as he thought about what would happen next. "If only the story ended here…."

"….Huh?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Never mind. Let's get back to the school where we can finish the story," he said standing up. He dropped the money onto the counter, paying for the children's ramen as they hopped off their own stools. He led them out of the stand and back in the direction of the school. The silver-haired man watched the sky as one thought ran through his mind.

'If only the story had ended there….'


	4. The End

"Okay 'Kashi. We're back at the academy now tell us what happens next!"

Kakashi chuckled, smiling at his children from beneath his mask. "My, someone's a little impatient~"

"'Kashi…" Naruto whined, earning him a thump on the head and a 'baka' from Sasuke.

"Please continue 'Kashi-san!" Sakura asked politely, trying to hide her impatience.

Kakashi nodded. "Well since you asked so nicely~!" he said, before beginning his story. "After Obito gained his sharigan, he and Kakashi treated their wounds before going after Rin…"

* * *

Rin sat against the cave wall, ropes wrapped around her, binding her arms to her torso. She was exhausted and pained, having suffered through torture from the trolls, ever since they captured her. "You're unexpectedly stubborn…" the one remaining troll said, ruffling the brunette's short hair. Upon hearing footsteps behind him, he whisked around to spot the boys from earlier, except the jester was no sporting glowing red eyes and the knight's left one is heavily bandaged. "Everyone's useless…" he sighed, stepping towards them.

"Rin's strength is low and her life force is weak, Kakashi…" Obito muttered to his comrade, using his newly acquired sharigan to examine her.

Kakashi nodded. "They may have tortured her to get information," he explained, watching the troll warily. "We've already beaten one this one has high speed…. Be careful." Obito nodded once in understanding and both boys got into battle stances. Kakashi pulled his sword from its sheath and Obito clenched his hands into fists.

The teens charged towards the troll as he pulled out twin blades and charged towards them. Kakashi's sword clashed with the enemy's weapons as Obito used his eyes to read the troll's movements and to land a few punches. Obito leaned back to dodge an attack. Kakashi used this to his advantage and went to attack the troll. The jester saw he was going to attack his friend with new magic technique and used his feet to block him from slashing. Kakashi swung his sword, managing to land a deep cut on the shoulder.

Obito moved his legs, releasing the troll from his hold. The bluish-grey man fell forward, as soon as the Uchiha moved out of the way. The two boys left their enemy on the ground in favour of checking their friend. Kakashi kneeled down in front of Rin, giving her the once over as Obito smiled at her over the knight's shoulder. "We came to save you Rin!" he chirped. "It's alright now!"

"Right! We'd better get out of here fast!" Kakashi stated, beginning to untie the girl. Rin smiled warmly at them both, glad to be finally be freed.

The end.

* * *

"That's it? That's all that happens?" Naruto asked, clearly angered at the ending. "That was anti-climate!"

"You mean 'anti-climatic' dobe…"Sasuke corrected him, rolling his eyes.

"That too!"

"Is that really how it ends, 'Kashi-san?" Sakura asked, disappointment evident in her emerald eyes. "I was expecting something more… exciting or romantic…."

"Oh now that you mention it, there is more! How could I forget?" Kakashi smiled apologetically at them. Truth be told, he thought ending it there would be more desirable for the children than ending it where it should be ended….

The three children sweat dropped at the masked man. "Well hurry up and continue then!" Naruto ushered him.

Kakashi nodded. "The knight, the maiden and the court jester thought everything had ended there but, unfortunately for them, it didn't…"

* * *

The troll stood back up on his feet, clutching his injury. "That was a good combination," he stated, causing the three teens to turn and look at him in surprise. "But you're still brats and now, you're right in my hands!" he smirked. The troll waved his hands around, conducting a magic spell. "Doton! Iwa Yada Kuzushi!" he called out and clapped his hands together.

The roof of the cave above our heroes began to shave and vibrate, causing some rocks and boulders to fall towards them. "Oh damn…" Obito swore, fear in his eyes.

"Everyone! Get out of here quickly!" Kakashi commanded and began to run, the other two quickly following suit. Rocks of all sizes fell around them and the trio had to act fast to dodge as many as they could. However, as Kakashi was missing an eye, his depth perception was cut, un-allowing him to see all the rocks falling on his left. He didn't see the rock that conked him on the head. The knight collapsed to the ground due to the blow.

"KAKASHI!" Rin called out to her fallen friend. She and Obito skidded to a halt and the latter charged forward to help him. The Uchiha had the sharigan activated to help him avoid the falling debris and he spotted a large boulder heading straight for the knight. He gripped the boy's arm and leg and tossed him out of the way. However, he didn't have time to save himself.

Kakashi sat up on the ground where Obito had threw him, He intended to glare at him, but his eyes widened at the sight of the raven-haired teen crushed beneath it. "OBITO!" he heard Rin call out to their fallen comrade. His good eye examined the court jester. He had saved him. He had survived. Obito wouldn't.

"Shit!" Kakashi swore and ran to him. He gripped the boulder as best as he could and tried to lift, or at least roll it off of him. It wouldn't budge.

"That's enough Kakashi," Obito croaked out, looking up at him with his left eye, the other being crushed by the boulder. "It looks like this is the end for me. The whole right side of my body is smashed. I have no feeling in it…." He watched his friends' reactions carefully. Kakashi looked pissed to say the least, and Rin could only mumble random words, unable to form full sentences as tears welled up in her eyes. Obito coughed up some blood, earning a cry from the brunette.

Kakashi punched the ground, his eyes and jaw clenched shut. "From the beginning, if I had have gone along with you to rescue Rin, something like this wouldn't have happened!" he spat out in anger. "What kind of commander am I? What kind of knight am I?"

"Forget about it," Obito said softly and slowly, trying to assure his friend it wasn't his fault. "I'm the only one who didn't give you a present at your knight celebration, right Kakashi? I was thinking of what would be good to give you and now I've got it. Don't worry, it isn't useless baggage. I'll give you my eye so you can have the magic of the sharigan. You'd make better use out of it than me. The people in the kingdom must be saying that you're a great knight because that's how I feel…. Please take it…." His eye darted over to his female companion. "Rin, you're a druid. Please take it out and implant it into Kakashi's left eye!"

Rin wiped away her tears and nodded. "Kakashi, please come over so we can get started right away!"

Kakashi looked at Obito unsure. "I'm already going to die!" Obito told him, noticing his reluctance. "But I can become your eye and then I'll get to see the future!" Kakashi eyed him for a moment, before shutting his one working eye, thinking it over.

* * *

"No."

Kakashi looked at Naruto's stubborn face, surprised at his sudden interruption. "I'm sorry?"

"'Bito can't die!" he stated stubbornly, crossing his arms. "It's making Sakura-chan cry!" he exclaimed, pointing at the pink haired girl to his right. Sakura wiped away her silent tears, looking away from the boys in embarrassment.

"The dobe's right!" Sasuke said, agreeing with Naruto for the first time since Kakashi had met the trio. "'Bito can't die. Can't you change the ending?"

"Change the ending? I suppose I could but-"

"No buts!" Naruto said, finality in his voice. "You are changing the ending and it's gonna be happy! Believe it!"

Kakashi blinked. The former ANBU captain wasn't used to taking orders, especially from a child. "Okay then…" he said hesitantly. It would be interesting to contemplate how the situation would have change if Obito HAD survived. "Hmm, let's see…"

* * *

Kakashi opened his shut eye, it brimming with steely determination. "No." he stated harshly, standing up again. "I'm not taking your eye, Obito, because you're **not **going to die." Before either of his teammates could question him, the knight's hand sparked with electricity. He aimed it directly at the boulder above Obito, fiercely glaring at it. "Rin, stand back." The maiden shuffled further from the boys, watching with worried eyes.

"Minato-sensei told you not to use the chidori-" Obito began to protest but was cut off when a bright flash of light shielded his vision. The lightning magic struck the rock, smashing it into a million pieces. Rock fragments were sent flying in all directions, some hitting the knight, the maiden and the court jester. Obito opened his eye to see the boulder gone.

Kakashi panted heavily and glared at the spot where his target was, his arm hanging limp by his side. "Rin, begin healing Obito with you medical magic," he ordered the girl and turned to face the cave entrance. "I'm going after the troll."

"Kakashi, your arm-"

"I'll be fine. Just concentrate on making sure that baka doesn't die!" he said with finality, gripping the sword Minato had given him so tightly his knuckles turned white. He ran out of the cave before any more objections could be made.

Obito glared after the knight. "HE'S the baka…" he muttered to Rin. "He's going to get himself killed now…"

Rin sighed, kneeling down next to him. "Please don't be mad at Kakashi," she said quietly, her hands glowing green with the medical magic as she began to heal the court jester's right side. "He just didn't want you to die. I- I don't either… Please just forget about him and concentrate on getting better! I- It'll help with the healing!"

Obito looked up at the brunette, noticing she was biting her lip in an attempt to hold by the tears she was so desperately wanting to let out. "Okay…" he gave in, smiling softly. "And Rin, there's… something I've always been meaning to tell you…." He took a deep breath. "Rin, I lo-"

"Obito," Rin caught him off, a few tears escaping from her eye, the salty water dripping onto Obito's body. "I know." Obito's eye widened in shock, before adopting a depressed look and glancing at the cave's entrance. "I… I think I feel the same way…" she continued. Obito looked up at her again, his eye full of surprise. "But… I can't deal with this right now… I **need **toheal you…" Obito smiled and nodded as best as he could, considering half of his body was currently paralysed, his eye softening.

Nothing more was said as Rin continued to heal Obito to the best of her ability. The court jester could feel the medical magic whirling around his body. He didn't regain any feeling until Prince Minato returned, carrying an exhausted Kakashi on his back ten minutes later. He didn't regain much feeling, but progress was progress.

"How is he?" Prince Minato asked Rin, dropping the knight next to the patient.

"I'm fine," Obito replied for her, smiling up at the prince. "I can sorta feel my right side now! See?" he asked, twitching the fingers on his right hand to demonstrate. "No need to worry!" Prince Minato examined his student for a moment before looking to Rin for confirmation.

Rin looked him over before nodding slowly. "He should survive long enough for us to reach Konoha and a more experienced druid can finish healing him fully…"

"Does that include destroying the bridge?"

"If I give him some healing magic when we get there, he should make it until we get home."

"Excellent!" Prince Minato said, lifting the court jester onto his back. Obito wrapped one arm around his sensei's neck so he wouldn't fall off, the other arm lying limp at his side. "Heal Kakashi enough for him to walk on his own and we'll head to the bridge as quick as possible!" Rin nodded and shuffled closer to the knight. "Despite all of three of you almost getting yourselves killed, I'm proud of you!" Prince Minato said, smiling broadly. "You handled the situation really well. You've all come a long way!" The trio smiled at his statement. "We should have broth and mead to celebrate!"

"Broth? Isn't that Kushina's favourite~?" Obito teased, nudging the blonde with his good hand.

"You mean 'the soon-to-be Queen Kushina'," Kakashi corrected him smirking, earning a giggle from Rin. "Will she be joining us, hmm?"

A blush crept up on the prince's cheeks as he grinned at them sheepishly. "We're not that serious yet-"

"Yet~?"

"We should get going!" Prince Minato said quickly, walking towards the cave entrance. Obito laughed heartily as Kakashi and Rin followed them, smirking and smiling to themselves.

* * *

"And then, Kakashi and Prince Minato destroyed the bridge whilst Rin healed up Obito some more. They all got back to the castle where the wise druid Tsunade nursed Obito back to full health. Both boys got glass eyes to replace their damaged ones. Obito and Rin got together. Prince Minato married Kushina and had a beautiful baby boy named Nar… Narumaru and everyone lived happily ever after!"

Naruto grinned, folding his arms behind his eyes. "That ending was better than 'bito dying! Believe it!"

Sakura nodded in agreement. "It was sweet! I can't believe you almost killed off 'bito!"

"Killing off an Uchiha is never a good ending!" Sasuke said, nodding.

Kakashi smiled sheepishly. "Yes, well, I guess I'm not much of a fan of happy endings!"

"You monster! They're the BEST kinds!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Shouldn't you three be going home or something?" Kakashi asked them. He wanted to visit the memorial again. The story made him relive a lot of memories… Plus Icha Icha Paradise hasn't been read for nearly an hour now.

"Itachi-nii isn't coming for ages yet!" Sasuke informed him, glancing at the clock on the wall.

"Oooh! You can tell us another story while we wait!" Naruto said excitedly, grinning up at him, his eyes sparkling.

"I suppose I could…" Kakashi nodded, eager to try anything to keep the kids quiet. "A few years after the quest, a dragon named Kyuubi attacked the kingdom and it was up to King Minato, Kakashi, Obito and Rin to slay it…"

~fin~

**A/n: **

**And we're done! I loved this mini-story and I'm quite happy about the ending. I won't write the Kyuubi story, I've a few other story ideas I'd like to write instead. I don't have much to say about the story except I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it! Thanks for all the reviews/faves/alerts you've all given me. They're much appreciated. :D**


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